Making a Difference for Every Child: A blog about how act.org makes an impact with each donation made.
Every year, at least 27 million students in the US take the ACT or SAT, with millions more taking exams like the GRE and LSAT. Each of these tests has a fee attached to it, which can be burdensome for many students who don’t have the means to pay for it.
To help address this issue, we’ve developed fee waivers that allow students to take our tests free of charge if they qualify. In fact, our fee waivers cover 100 percent of the test costs for juniors and seniors and 50 percent for sophomores. Students can also get two free score reports so they can send their results to colleges.
But we don’t stop there. We also provide financial support to schools in low-income areas that are unable to afford test prep materials themselves. This way, students in every school have access to the resources they need to succeed on a college entrance exam. By focusing on both individual students and their schools, we aim to make sure no student is left behind due to financial restraints.
Making a Difference for Every Child: A blog about how act.org makes an impact with each donation made.
What do all of the following have in common?
The city of Detroit, Michigan.
The tiny town of Barnett, Missouri.
The up-and-coming arts community of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The answer—and the reason why they matter to us—comes in two parts: low-income families and education. For many students from low-income families, their home environment gives them a distinct disadvantage when it comes to preparing for college and careers. But what if there was a way to help level the playing field? One way ACT is working toward that goal is by helping low-income students gain access to high-quality education through our ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign. We focus on increasing the number of low-income students who take the ACT® test, because research shows that taking the test has a positive impact on subsequent academic achievement and college enrollment. In fact, students who take ACT are twice as likely to enroll in postsecondary education as those who don’t—a statistic that rises to three times as likely for first-generation college students.
By providing fee waivers and other resources that help increase testing rates among
Making a Difference for Every Child: A blog about how act.org makes an impact with each donation made.
ACT is committed to helping students achieve success and make a difference in their lives as they fulfill their dreams and aspirations. The generous contributions of our donors allow us to help students prepare for college, achieve their goals and improve the quality of life in communities across America.
With each donation, ACT is able to offer more opportunities, more solutions, and more resources for students who need them most. To show our gratitude for every single gift, we’ve put together this special section to share stories about the ways your generosity is making a difference for every student we serve.
A blog about how act.org makes an impact with each donation made.
What does it take to make a difference for every child in the world?
The answer is both simple and complex: $5 can change a life. That’s right. $5 provides clean water to a child for a year, prevents malaria deaths of children under 5, and immunizes children against common diseases.
Each of these seemingly small tasks contributes to changing the world. As we approach our World Water Day efforts, I’m constantly reminded of how much of an impact one person can make on the world. I love that feeling of knowing that I am part of something bigger than myself—something that will provide lasting benefits for generations to come.
Every day we get questions about how a gift to ACT helps students. This blog is our opportunity to answer those questions. It’s where you can get the inside scoop on how your gift makes an impact, and where you can follow the stories of people whose lives have been changed because of your generosity.
We are excited to share with you stories of students whose lives have been changed through programs supported by donations like yours; scholarship recipients who are making a difference in their communities; our research and advocacy efforts on behalf of students and schools; and the ways in which ACT programs help improve education and workforce development nationwide.
You made it possible for me to graduate from high school, go to college, graduate from college, and now I’m working as a professional engineer. My education has opened up so many opportunities for me that I don’t think I would have had otherwise.
For many years, I have been a passionate advocate of the ACT. As a college professor and university administrator, I believe passionately in the potential to transform lives through education. And I believe that the ACT is one of the most powerful tools we have to make that transformation possible.
That’s why I was honored to take on my current role as president and CEO of ACT. It’s also why I am proud to announce today a new initiative called ACT for Good: The ACT Center for Equity in Learning. In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, it will help ensure all children receive a high-quality education that prepares them to live their dreams and fulfill their potential.
The ACT Center for Equity in Learning will work with schools, parents and communities across America to help young people succeed—in college and beyond—regardless of race, ethnicity or economic background. We will do this by helping create opportunities for students who are historically underserved. We will also focus on helping students prepare for the transition from high school to college or career training programs by helping schools, parents and communities provide students with more rigorous academic opportunities and by increasing access to those opportunities.
Right now, in the United States, nearly 40 percent of young people are not prepared for
The ACT® test is a curriculum-based education and career planning tool for high school students that assesses the mastery of college readiness standards
The ACT® test motivates students to perform to their best ability. Test scores reflect what students have learned throughout high school and provide colleges and universities with excellent information for recruiting, advising, placement, and retention.
The ACT® test is the nation’s most widely accepted college entrance exam. Since 1959, the ACT® test has been trusted as a leader in college entrance exams. The ACT® test continues to set the standard for college entrance exams today.
